ASICS faced a tough challenge. With technological advancements being made by brands previously known more for fashion than performance, key running audiences no longer saw ASICS as the clear winner in the performance running category, and sales were declining.

The new ASICS GLIDERIDE™ running shoe is ground-breaking innovation: a running shoe designed to help you save energy as you run.

OBJECTIVES: We needed to launch the GLIDERIDE™ into the crowded market and enhance ASICS’ reputation, reasserting them as the go-to brand for high-performance running. ASICS asked us to use the new innovative and energy saving shoe GLIDERIDE™, to build brand preference for ASICS amongst runners in key markets.

BRIEF: Specifically, they wanted us to:

• Drive fame for the brand

• Enhance perception of the brand as innovative

• Increase willingness to recommend • Increase brand value amongst consumers (willingness to pay more)

ASICS' target audience are real runners: they care about performance and challenging themselves. What if the finish line holds us back from reaching our true potential?

CREATIVE SOLUTION: Eternal Run: The world’s first race without a finish line. In Utah Salt Flats we created the ultimate live product test for the GLIDERIDE™ shoe.

We invited 23 athletes, influencers and journalists to the Bonneville Salt Flats with no route, no pacemakers and no finish line, to see how far they could run.

Each was assigned a pace.

When the whistle blew they had to run, until they couldn’t run anymore.

The brand experience would be the earned engine for the campaign.

ASICS' target audience are real runners: they care about performance and challenging themselves.

ASICS is an acronym for a sound mind in a sound body and the brand has a deep care for runners. How better to test the limits of your mind and our shoes, than taking all the other limits away?

Our choice of runners would ensure that this epic experience was shared with the whole world:

- Journalists ran, securing big titles.

- Established runners spoke to the hardcore running community.

- Influencers engaged wider online audiences.

We created short online campaign films to enable wide sharing and a 10-minute documentary to cover the whole experience.

To design this unique race, we collaborated with a group of leading experts; including world-renowned sport scientist Professor Samuele Marcora, ASICS RUNKEEPER™ data analysts, elite coaches and the ASICS Institute of Sport Science (ISS).

They assessed how far each runner was physically capable of running.

Runners were assigned a pace, based on ability.

When the whistle blew, runners had to make their pace and keep running. If they dropped below that pace, they would receive a warning. Three warnings and they were out.

In Utah, every element of the experience had to be transported and built out in the deserted flats. Social content was produced, edited and shared live, and we had the first film out just hours after the finished race.

Still images, short brand films and full 10-minute documentary were created to connect with different audiences, and participants began their outreach as soon as the race finished.

MEDIA OUTPUTS

• 1.7 BN EARNED REACH

Coverage Highlights:

• The Mail Online, Yahoo! News, Sport and Finance, Forbes, T3 and Mashable all covered the race and associated assets.

• Each ran features that include interviews with spokespeople Samuele Marcora (sports scientist), Liz McColgan and Wayne Bridge (event runners).

• 85% of US coverage included our key messages in the first half of the story.

TARGET AUDIENCE OUTCOMES (SENTIMENT)

Of people who saw the campaign:

• 70% would choose ASICS over other brands (+17 points)

• 80% believe ASICS is reinventing running (+23 points)

• 84% of those previously unaware of the brand would consider buying ASICS

• 69% of those previously unaware of the brand would recommend ASICS.

• 70% want to take part in future Eternal Run events

• 82% have a more positive opinion of ASICS than before

• 81% expressed purchase intent

• 67% would pay more for ASICS products (+14 points)

• 79% say they trust ASICS as a brand more after the campaign

• 79% are more likely to recommend ASICS

• 64% want to travel to Utah to do it themselves!

• 81% describe the experience as ‘astonishing’ and ‘spectacular’

• 78% think the experiment was ground-breaking

• 85% think it demonstrates the importance of a strong mind in running

• 89% have a positive impression of the ASICS brand

• 82% believe that ASICS deeply cares about runners (+12 points)

BUSINESS OUTCOMES:

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